Description

Temporal Bar Graph (TBG) visualizes numeric data over time. It accepts CSV (tabular) datasets, including NSF grant data. Note: Unlike the Horizontal Bar Graph (not included version), this visualization does not work with records lacking start or end dates. When visualizing burst detection data lacking start or end dates, edit the *.csv file to include the oldest or most recent date where start or end dates are lacking. The output of this visualization consists of labeled horizontal bars that correspond to records in the original dataset. Records that are missing either a start or end date (or both) will be ignored; This is also reported on the console as warning messages. Likewise, records that have either non-number or Infinity Size By values will be ignored.

Menu Path

Visualization -> Temporal -> Temporal Bar Graph

Input Parameters

Name

Description

Notes

Label

The field used to label the bar lines.

Start Date

The field used for the starting date of the records that are visualized as horizontal bars.

End Date

The field used for the ending date of the records that are visualized as horizontal bars.

Size By

The field used to size the horizontal bars by.

Date Format

The date format to use for parsing the Start and End Dates. Possible options are "Day-Month-Year Date Format (Europe, e.g. 31/10/2010)" and "Month-Day-Year Date Format (U.S., e.g. 10/31/2010)".

Query

The query that created the data.

This line will be written below the title on the visualization.

Scale Output?

If checked, the output visualization will be scaled to fit one page. If not, 50 records per page will be used.

Outputs

Name

Description

Notes

Temporal Bar Graph Visualization

A postscript file that is the visualization.

Bar Sizes

A CSV file that records the Name, Width, Height, and Area calculated for each record in the dataset.

These are raw numbers not converted to any system.

Sample Visualizations

Standard Layout

Scaled Layout

Usage Hints

Temporal Bar Graph was originally designed to visualize NSF grant data, but most things that fits the format of "numerical values with start and end dates" is compatible and potentially interesting when visualized with it.